Sue Peters – Seattle School Board & Beyondhttps://suepeters4schoolboard.org
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1 http://wordpress.com/https://s0.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngSue Peters – Seattle School Board & Beyondhttps://suepeters4schoolboard.org
New study shows — Seattle’s switch to later school start times for adolescents is making a positive differencehttps://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2019/01/31/new-study-shows-seattles-switch-to-later-school-start-times-for-adolescents-is-making-a-positive-difference/
https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2019/01/31/new-study-shows-seattles-switch-to-later-school-start-times-for-adolescents-is-making-a-positive-difference/#respondThu, 31 Jan 2019 04:09:52 +0000http://suepeters4schoolboard.org/?p=2502Continue reading New study shows — Seattle’s switch to later school start times for adolescents is making a positive difference→]]>A newly published study by professors at the University of Washington shows that the Seattle School District’s recent change to a later school start time for its adolescent students has had positive impacts.

“Sleepmore in Seattle: Later school start times are associated with more sleep and better performance in high school students,” was published in Science Advances magazine Dec. 12, 2018, by authors Gideon P. Dunster, Luciano de la Iglesia, Miriam Ben-Hamo, Claire Nave, Jason G. Fleischer, Satchidananda Panda and Horacio O. de la Iglesia. According to their abstract:

Most teenagers are chronically sleep deprived. One strategy proposed to lengthen adolescent sleep is to delay secondary school start times. This would allow students to wake up later without shifting their bedtime, which is biologically determined by the circadian clock, resulting in a net increase in sleep. So far, there is no objective quantitative data showing that a single intervention such as delaying the school start time significantly increases daily sleep. The Seattle School District delayed the secondary school start time by nearly an hour. We carried out a pre-/post-research study and show that there was an increase in the daily median sleep duration of 34 min, associated with a 4.5% increase in the median grades of the students and an improvement in attendance.

The study also made national news. NPR, CBS and locally, the Seattle Times, covered the story:

I’m proud to have been a member of the Seattle School Board that shepherded this through, as an advocate from the start, and finally, as a member of the 6-1 majority that passed it. Bell times were an ongoing topic the entire time I was on the Board (2013-17). After many delays, this change was finally implemented in Sept. 2016.

Much credit goes to the community members — parents, teachers, medical professionals and others — who tirelessly advocated for this sensible change for a number of years. That includes parents and teachers like Dianne Casper, Cindy Jatul and others.

If more school districts focused on common-sense practices and policies like this, which address the fundamental needs of students, rather than constantly looking for and wasting resources on the latest silver-bullet solution or reform trend from outside interests that stand to make a profit from public education, students would be better served.

Seattle is a national leader on this front. Hopefully other districts will follow suit.

— Sue Peters

(Note: I meant to post this last month. Apologies for the delay. Happy New Year!)

]]>https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2019/01/31/new-study-shows-seattles-switch-to-later-school-start-times-for-adolescents-is-making-a-positive-difference/feed/0suep4spsTop 10 Reasons to Vote for Maralyn Chase for State Senate!https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2018/11/05/top-10-reasons-to-vote-for-maralyn-chase-for-state-senate/
https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2018/11/05/top-10-reasons-to-vote-for-maralyn-chase-for-state-senate/#respondMon, 05 Nov 2018 21:58:38 +0000http://suepeters4schoolboard.org/?p=2490Continue reading Top 10 Reasons to Vote for Maralyn Chase for State Senate!→]]>

Top 10 Reasons to Vote for Maralyn Chase for State Senate!

SENATOR MARALYN CHASE is the only candidate in the race with over 16 years of distinguished, award-winning experience in state government as both a representative and senator.

CHASE is the only candidate with firsthand knowledge of the state’s legislative processes. And as the legislature’s delegate to the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER), Chase draws on her extensive knowledge about international and domestic trade. She also works closely with Washington State tribes and rural populations in her work as chair of the Economic Development and International Trade.

MARALYN CHASE is a proven progressive legislative leader. In the 2018 session, as a member of the Rules Committee, Chase was instrumental in moving a record number of Democratic bills to passage by Senate Democrats. They passed: the 2017 Capital Construction Budget, investments in education to satisfy McCleary, a statewide property tax cut, gun safety measures, equal pay for women, protections against sexual harassment, the Net Neutrality Act, the Reproductive Parity Act to require employer insurance to allow women to make their own reproductive choices and for preventive healthcare, protections for college students from predatory loans, a ban on conversion therapy, an expansion of the Breakfast After the Bell Program, the phasing out of salmon net farms, expansion of higher education for Dreamers, reforms for juvenile justice to reduce recidivism and racial disproportionality, prohibition of housing discrimination for renters using Section 8 vouchers, and also Ban the Box, for equal employment. In this session, Chase also co-sponsored or supported the passage of other key bills on gun safety, school funding, and lowering taxes. Chase helped to pass a groundbreaking ban on bump stocks on guns. She and her colleagues passed multiple bills on housing, and provided $107 million for the Housing Trust Fund in the Biennial Capitol Budget, which preserves and builds affordable housing for those at the lowest income levels. Chase supported the allocation of funds to recommend a plan to create a state’s public bank to save $4 billion a year in debt service to Wall Street banks. Senator Chase introduced the “Healthy Washington” bill, modeled on the California’s single-payer healthcare bill that passed in their state senate.

You can count on MARALYN CHASE to defend your civil rights. In 2018 Chase worked with Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos to introduce the first bill in the Senate to reinstate Affirmative Action. She also promoted passage of the revision to the 1943 Equal Pay Act, requiring employers to provide equal pay and opportunities to their employees regardless of gender. She and her colleagues passed three bills ensuring voting rights, same-day registration and prohibiting racially based gerrymandering. Chase has always been far ahead on LGBTQ2 rights and helped pass the 2018 bill prohibiting conversion therapy. Chase is a vocal supporter of I-940 to de-escalate police violence, and demand accountability in police involved shootings. Her strong civil rights and human rights record is one of the reasons she has earned the sole endorsement of State Attorney General, Bob Ferguson.

CHASE has always been a champion for the environment and for education. In 2011, she wrote the bill to shut down TransAlta, the state’s dirtiest coal plant. In 2015, she chaired the committee for Initiative 522, to require labeling of genetically modified foods. It lost by a narrow margin after large corporations spent $22 million to oppose it, setting a state record for money spent on a ballot measure. Chase is now facing retaliation by Monsanto, which now funds her opponent, Jesse Salomon. Chase works hard to protect the Puget Sound, wild salmon runs, works with local tribes and family fishing businesses to promote sustainable and local business operations. This includes co-sponsoring the 2018 bill to phase out toxic salmon pen farming. In 2004, Chase helped lead the effort to overturn a charter school bill passed by the legislature. Her position was affirmed by the voters who passed a referendum to reject charter schools. (In contrast, her current opponent, Jesse Salomon, has received over $40,000 in financial support and an endorsement frompro-charter-school privatizers, Stand for Children.) Senator Chase organized a bipartisan hearing on Common Core standards in 2017 to ask the difficult questions about a costly and undemocratically imposed initiative on K-12 education.

CHASE has been recognized for her legislative advocacy by numerous organizations. In 2015, the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides awarded Chase the Rachel Carson Award for her work in reducing cancer-causing pesticides in the food chain, such as Roundup. The National Minority Business Advisory Council named Chase their “2017 Legislator of the Year” for her role in the unanimous passage of SB 5734. This legislation guarantees equal opportunity in bidding for small works contracts with state and federal agencies. According to the Shoreline Area News, “Chase, D-Edmonds, was chosen for her work on the Small Business Bonding Relief bill, which brought Washington state’s government contracting provisions into compliance with federal law governing small works bonding requirements.” Said Chase, “As a former small business owner, I understand the challenges these companies face on a daily basis. I’m proud to accept this award, and will continue to work hard for small, minority businesses statewide.”

MARALYN CHASE brings a wealth of experience to the legislature. After she earned her BA and MA degrees from the University of Washington in political science, she organized for women’s reproductive rights and was a labor advocate. Chase built a successful family business in the construction trades and knows what it takes to run a business and a family. Her policies come from knowing that in order to have a good life, people need a good education, a good job, a good home and a healthy environment. Her policies are people-focused. When evaluating the merits of a proposal, Chase always asks, “How will this policy affect people?“

MARALYN is committed to engaging in dialogue with constituents and organizations to shape her policies. She has been a strong progressive voice and a people’s representative. She has a history of courageously defending people from the agendas of powerful interests.

MARALYN CHASE’S commitment to democracy is the reason she is endorsed by a broad and diverse coalition that includes: the 32ndDistrict Democrats, Snohomish and King County Democrats, the Metropolitan Democrats, the National Women’s Political Caucus of Washington, Washington State Labor Council, State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Washington Education Association (WEA), Congressman Rick Larsen, State Sen. Manka Dhingra, State Sen. Sharon Nelson, State Sen. John McCoy, State Sen. Bob Hasegawa, King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes, Seattle City Council Member Teresa Mosqueda, City Councilmembers from Shoreline, Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Washington State Federation of Democratic Women, Young Democrats of Washington, Snohomish County Young Democrats, Washington State Progressive Caucus, Environment and Climate Caucus of the Washington State Democratic Party, Alliance for Gun Responsibility Victory Fund, National Women’s Political Caucus, Our Revolution, WA State, and National, Planned Parenthood Votes, SEAMEC, Sierra Club, Swinomish Tribal Community, Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs (WACOPS), Win With Women PAC, Washington Conservation Voters, The Cannabis Alliance, Carbon Washington, Tree PAC, Equal Rights Washington, Washington State Council of Firefighters, Aerospace Machinists Industrial District Lodge 751 (IAM 751), AFSCME Council 28/Washington Federation of State Employees, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Washington, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587, IBEW Local 77, Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific (IBU), International Union of Operating Engineers Local 609 (IUOE Local 609), Washington State Nurses Association-PAC 5/22, Washington Housing Alliance Action Fund, Washington Interior Systems Local Union No. 41, Central Puget Sound Carpenters Local 30, and many others.

*BONUS REASON* SENATOR MARALYN CHASE has not resorted to negative campaigning or smear tactics,unlike her opponent, Jesse Salomon and his wealthy backers,Stand for Children PAC, WA REALTORS PAC and the deceptively named “Democratic Friends,” which is funded by Friends of Cindy Ryu, Elect Jesse Salomon, and Elect Lauren Davis. At a recent forum, when asked if he would denounce the many deceitful mailers attacking Chase which have bombarded the 32ndLegislative District on his behalf, Salomon refused. (As did Ryu and Davis.)

Experience Matters. Character Matters. Courage Matters.

Vote CHASE!

What others have said about Maralyn Chase:

“State Rep. Maralyn Chase (…) has been a dedicated liberal voice in the legislature for the past 16 years, fighting to double the estate tax to pay for student aid; pushing legislation to give local governments the ability to place a cap on condo conversions; and proposing quixotic (but righteous) environmental legislation, including a ban on petroleum-based plastic water bottles; a carbon tax; a ban on plastic bags, and a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers.

Chase’s unabashed liberalism (she testified in support of impeaching George Bush) will be a nice jolt to the Senate caucus, where proposals such as an effort to end big bank tax loopholes died last session.

(…) People laugh at her for being a crazy lefty, but two years after Chase introduced a global warming bill, Gregoire introduced it herself.”

— PubliCola endorsement of Chase when she first ran for State Senate in 2010

RE-ELECT Maralyn Chase to State Senate, District 32!

Thank you to all the community activists who contributed to this list. – Sue Peters

Lennox Scott (L), grandson of real estate patriarch John L. Scott and CEO of the family real estate business, and Jerry Martin (R), WA Realtors president, are main funders of shady attacks on State Senator Maralyn Chase. The Realtors PAC also contributed directly to Chase’s opponent, two-time senate hopeful and Shoreline City Councilmember Jesse Salomon.

Shoreline City Councilmember Jesse Salomon, funded by Chevron, Merck, Monsanto, Stand for Children, and the WA State Realtors PAC.

Last week, the Washington State Realtors Association, whose top contributors include Lennox Scott of John L. Scott Real Estate, Seattle King County Assoc of Realtors, WA Realtors President Jerry Martin, and the Spokane Association of Realtors, released two separate mailers attacking State Senator Maralyn Chase (D-Edmonds).

It’s becoming clear that a cadre of real estate, corporate and privatizing entities desperately want to replace progressive champion Maralyn Chase with someone who will serve their interests.

The Realtors PAC has also received in-kind donations in the form of$32,250 worth of polling and research services from the anti-union, education privatizers Stand for Children (whose Washington PAC has a reported $1 million in its campaign coffers).

As they say on the PDC web site, and in this revealing post by local blogger and ed activist Carolyn Leith at the Seattle Education Blog: Follow the money.

The choice has become extremely clear in the contest for State Senator in the 32nd District: the people’s candidate (Maralyn Chase) versus the corporate candidate (Jesse Salomon). Vote for the true progressive. Vote Chase.

— SP.

]]>https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2018/10/29/why-have-the-wa-realtors-pac-the-ceo-of-john-l-scott-real-estate-launched-a-smear-campaign-against-state-senator-chase-also-monsanto-merck-chevron-stand-for-children-fund-candidate-je/feed/0suep4spsOpen Letter to The Stranger about Its Erratic Endorsements — and Why It Should Endorse Maralyn Chase for State Senatehttps://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2018/10/13/open-letter-to-the-stranger-about-its-erratic-endorsements-and-why-it-should-endorse-maralyn-chase-for-state-senate/
https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2018/10/13/open-letter-to-the-stranger-about-its-erratic-endorsements-and-why-it-should-endorse-maralyn-chase-for-state-senate/#commentsSat, 13 Oct 2018 23:24:39 +0000http://suepeters4schoolboard.org/?p=2418Continue reading Open Letter to The Stranger about Its Erratic Endorsements — and Why It Should Endorse Maralyn Chase for State Senate→]]>Dear Stranger Election Control Board,

So let’s see if I’ve got this right: In your cheat sheet for the August primary election, you said a candidate (Shoreline City Councilman Jesse Salomon) “****-ing sucks” (..) “We can’t even pretend he was any good.”– but you endorsed him anyway?

Over a candidate (State Senator Maralyn Chase) who has a longstanding history of strong progressive principles, votes and positions that you yourselves have historically supported?

You feebly endorsed a city councilmember (Salomon) for state senate because he said he hypothetically would have voted for a health care bill if he were in state office, and you vilified the sitting senator (Chase) who actually co-sponsored the bill in question—and incorrectly accuse her of not supporting the bill?

And you, who pride yourselves on being rude and obnoxious, cry foul when a candidate calls you “rude”?

What gives?

The August primary ended in basically a tie between Chase and Salomon, with less than 200 votes between them, Salomon finishing ahead. There’s clearly a battle afoot. And now, with your general election endorsements this week, you have continued your erratic attacks on Chase and your illogical support of her opponent, leaving many of us wondering: Whose side are you on?

The Stranger has been an edgy alternative voice in this (Boeing/Microsoft/Gates/ Starbucks/Vulcan/Amazon) company town for many years. I genuinely appreciate that. In the past, you have taken brave stances and covered important stories with some damn good writers (though you’ve also lost some along the way). You endorsed Kshama Sawant in 2013 (and me that same year — thank you for that). But lately, when it comes to endorsements, too often you’ve gotten it wrong. Obnoxiously, dangerously wrong.

Your treatment of Maralyn Chase is a case in point.

There was something rabidly irrational about your attack on Senator Chase in the primary election, especially considering you endorsed her in the past. Your backhanded endorsement of her opponent is equally senseless.

The truth is, Chase has been actively championing progressive causes and policies throughout her many years of public service, collaborating with colleagues as well as leading (by introducing a health care initiative inspired by the one in California, for example), or yes, taking a principled stand against a large transportation tax that had a lot of questions surrounding it. She has consistently been a staunch supporter of progressive issues like: affordable health care, public education, workers’ rights, fair taxes, LGBTQ rights, social justice, protecting the environment, affordable housing, economic equality, job creation, fair wages. She led the effort to mandate GMO labeling and was not afraid to take on Monsanto’s millions.

These are all issues The Stranger has championed as well. Or used to. Has something changed?

Let’s start with your primary endorsement claim about Chase’s record on single-payer health care. You incorrectly accused Chase of not supporting a bill. You wrote: “Instead of joining on with Senator David Frockt’s better single-payer bill, Chase copied California’s failed version of the bill and then went straight to the Seattle Times with the news that she wanted to bring single-payer to Washington State.”

Incidentally, healthcare activists in California are working on getting “Healthy California” signed into law by the next Democratic governor (if elected), followed by Oregon as “Healthy Oregon,” and here as “Healthy Washington,” creating a tri-state system. So Senator Chase may have exactly the foresight we want in our elected officials.

Also, you accused Chase of not single-handedly forcing through bills, when your own reporter noted that even a bill with a coalition of solid support can be stymied or killed by just one vote. Wrote Smith: “None of the single-payer bills made it out of committee in the last legislative session in Olympia. (Sen. David Frockt’s bill came close, but no cigar thanks in part to Sen. Mark Mullet, the only Democrat on the Senate healthcare committee who didn’t vote YES.) This is bad news.”

Policymaking and governing are rarely a solo act. Yet The Stranger accused Chase of both not doing enough single-handedly and not doing enough in collaboration with others. Which is it?

Public Education

Chase has also been a tireless supporter of public education and has worked to protect WA schools from damaging and failed corporate ed reforms. This led some in your comments section to wonder why Saul Spady was newly listed on your primary election endorsements Editorial Board at the same time you took aim at a champion of public ed. In 2004 and since, the Spady family were big backers of a charter schools push by then-Governor Locke (despite voters having rejected charter schools statewide twice), which Chase helped to stave off. And Saul Spady recently headed the effort to repeal the City Council’s short-lived head tax on larger businesses (like Amazon). Was it merely a coincidence that The Stranger suddenly turned on one of the most progressive pro-public ed legislators in the state at the same time it invited a member of a pro-ed-privatizing family onto its Ed Board?

Public disclosure is a topic where nearly all the state legislators got it wrong this year – including Cindy Ryu, Eric Pettigrew and Frank Chopp. Yet The Stranger endorsed all three of them anyway, and only singled out Chase, who cast the same vote they did. How does The Stranger justify that inconsistency?

And I agree with you that their attempt to modify or clarify the law – an option offered to them by the judge and the state attorney general — did not go far enough to establish true transparency. A taskforce won’t suffice either, and Chase realizes that.

But Chase, who serves on the Sunshine Committee, does have some valid concerns about the abuse of the PRA that can reveal private information of private citizens, and the costs. I have seen the law abused, and private citizens’ emails used politically and without full context, as I outlined in my earlier post from March 2018.

Also, collecting, reviewing and redacting emails carefully takes time and money. At the Seattle School District we had two staffers working full time doing nothing but that. Confidential info still slipped through. State legislators need to find resources for this significant task, and they need to protect the privacy of their constituents. Both must be done.

What I learned from serving in public office for four years (on the school board) and what we see in vivid display on the national stage, is when all is said and done, in order to elect a good legislator, your best bet is to elect a person of good character with a sound moral compass; someone who will side with the powerless and disadvantaged, and stand up to power and corruption; who will take on injustice. That is Chase’s history.

Now more than ever it is clear that character and values matter. We need people with sound ethics and good judgment in office at all levels of government.

Elsewhere in your primary (and general election) endorsements you gave Representative Suzanne DelBene credit for a “symbolic” but failed effort (“While DelBene’s bill was more symbolic than serious (and died in committee), the SECB appreciates deft political symbolism every once in a while.”), yet you don’t grant Chase the same grace. Why not?

Chase is willing to take brave positions that challenge the greater powers that be and isn’t afraid to be a lone voice sometimes. That’s why she has earned the respect and endorsement of fellow progressives like Larry Gossett, Pramila Jayapal, Bob Ferguson, Bob Hasegawa, David Frockt, Gerry Pollet, the King County Democrats, the Washington State Labor Council and the State teacher’s union (WEA). She has also earned a place in FUSE’s Progressive Voters Guide.

$32,250 in polling in the 32nd and 34th legislative districts, reported on 10/15/18. (See PDC records here.) Note, these “services” are listed as “in kind” donations to the WA Realtors PAC. In other words, Stand is apparently laundering its contributions to candidates like Salomon (in the 32nd LD) and Shannon Braddock (in the 34th LD) through the Washington Realtors Association Political Action Committee.

Salomon meanwhile has wiped his PDC record of the $1,000 direct contribution he received from Stand, and has not included their endorsement on his web site, even though he must have actively applied for it in order to receive it.

Unfortunately, your endorsement of Salomon over Chase is just one of the latest Stranger misfires.

You had nothing good to say about Chopp or Pettigrew yet you still endorsed them both. Neither has the progressive credentials of Chase. In fact, as recently as this week in your perennial endorsement of State Rep. Pettigrew you say:

“Eric Pettigrew is a trash legislator who told the SECB in 2014, when he was in his 12th year in office, ‘I don’t know if I have passed any bills this term.’ It’s not clear he has done anything since then, now that he is in his 16th year. He has voted against raising the minimum wage, tried to loosen regulations for predatory payday lenders, voted to shield the state legislature from disclosing public records, and promoted charter schools.”

Why doesn’t The Stranger simply issue no endorsement in races like those? The “lesser of two evils” argument is what leads to decades of mediocre and compromised candidates staying in power.

And now you trash one of the most consistent progressive voices in the state legislature, and support someone backed by privatizers whom you don’t really respect.

The most serious upshot of your flippant endorsements for candidates you don’t really believe in, or who are less qualified, is that truly lesser candidates are making it into the general election, while better ones you could have supported are being left behind.

As a fellow journalist it pains me to see a once decent publication render itself unreliable, sometimes unreadable (the expletives are getting a bit tired, by the way) especially in a one-paper town. I know I’m not the only one to wonder if The Stranger has lost its way.

Chase is the clear choice for reelection in District 32 because she is a tenacious person of conscience who will continue to fight for social justice, the underdog, and isn’t afraid to stand up to bigger forces—or The Stranger Ed Control Board, for that matter. She has been a strong and consistent progressive voice and a people’s representative, not a pawn of developers, corporations or privatizers.

She deserves better from The Stranger. And your readers need better information from you.

]]>https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2018/10/13/open-letter-to-the-stranger-about-its-erratic-endorsements-and-why-it-should-endorse-maralyn-chase-for-state-senate/feed/6suep4spsGov. Inslee should veto Senate Bill 6617: State legislators should be held to same standard of transparency as all other elected officialshttps://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2018/03/02/gov-inslee-should-veto-senate-bill-6617-state-legislators-should-be-held-to-same-standard-of-transparency-as-all-other-elected-officials/
https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2018/03/02/gov-inslee-should-veto-senate-bill-6617-state-legislators-should-be-held-to-same-standard-of-transparency-as-all-other-elected-officials/#respondFri, 02 Mar 2018 04:13:17 +0000http://suepeters4schoolboard.org/?p=2410Continue reading Gov. Inslee should veto Senate Bill 6617: State legislators should be held to same standard of transparency as all other elected officials→]]>As a former elected official, I know what it’s like to have most everything I write, email, or post on my calendar potentially obtained, read and published by the media or anyone who asks. As a Seattle School Board Director for the last four years, that was my reality

Sure, it can be a nuisance and it can impede your sense of free expression and confidentiality.

But as a journalist and public citizen, I also know the importance of the public being able to know what our elected officials and government bodies are doing in their name, with their tax dollars. Such public disclosure requirements are an essential component of a healthy democracy.

During my term, I was constantly subjected to public disclosure requests, from journalists, others, but most often from anonymous requesters. I simply established the philosophy that everything I wrote or said could end up on the front page of a newspaper and I was okay with that. It can be a good exercise – it teaches you to stand by your words.

Which brings me to Senate Bill 6617, sponsored by Senators Sharon Nelson (D) and Mark Schoesler (R) which Governor Inslee must act on by midnight today. I agree with the media organizations that have claimed that the state’s 1972 Public Records Act law covers all elected officials statewide. A Thurston County Superior Court judge also recently agreed. But last week, the state legislature changed the law to exempt themselves from the transparency rules that all other state officials must abide by.

I’m baffled and frankly rather enervated that our legislators, Democrats and Republicans alike, should expect a cloud of secrecy around their work that no other elected officials are afforded–nor should have. Why should our state legislators who make decisions that are arguably far more impactful statewide than those of our school board directors, city council and county council members, not be held to the same standard that the rest of us are? We all make policy.

The manner in which they passed this change to the law – Senate and House meetings in quick succession with no public hearings – casts their actions in the dark shadows of suspicion.

I am open to hearing compelling explanations for why their change to the law is better. But I am skeptical. Because if there is a legitimate reason, why were the legislators afraid to have a public hearing and normal process to make their case?

Where I do agree with them is in the concern about revealing sensitive information about constituents. It’s true the law already allows government bodies to redact any information that is not relevant to the request that may violate confidentiality of a non-elected official. But there have been abuses of the law.

Last year, for example, it was very troubling to see a journalist publish email sent from private parents to the Seattle School District, and misrepresent the content. This is wrong. In a KUOW radio story called “To understand white liberal racism, read these private emails,” the reporter Isolde Raftery boasted, “These parents would not talk to us, so we did a public records request for their emails.” She acknowledged that these were “private” and not from elected officials, yet published them anyway.

Private families are not public figures. They believe they are writing to their representatives confidentially. Especially when it comes to their children, parents write with emotion and sensitivity. These emails were misrepresented and exploited by a board director and a reporter. Those PRA requests should not have been granted. This was an abuse of the law. So I support protecting those documents if that is the intent of the state legislators.

But I don’t support a special exemption for state legislators themselves.

My qualm with the Public Records Act is that it increasingly has been used as a tool for nuisance. Instead of being a legitimate tool for news media or watchdog groups looking for background info on a specific issue and keeping the public informed, anonymous entities can launch fishing expeditions asking for broad general sweeps of documents with no real topic, just to harass an elected official or a government organization. These expeditions take up time and resources. The age of digital communication has allowed for the proliferation and easy access of communications that the legislators who drafted the law in 1972 could not have imagined.

Back then, documents were paper, and far less in quantity. Nowadays, public officials, like most people, generate hundreds of emails a week or even daily. The volume can be enormous, but the transmission relatively easy. Sifting through and analyzing hundreds of emails is time-consuming and costly. Honoring the law has become onerous and unreasonable in the digital age, but not for the reasons SB 6617 addresses.

I support a review of the law to establish parameters of reasonable merit. This will allow government bodies to focus their public resources on responding to legitimate requests.

It will be a test of Governor Inslee’s leadership and character today if he takes a stand and rightly vetoes this bill, or passively lets this slide into law as he did with last year’s charter school bill. But a shadow remains over the legislature’s actions that brought us to this point.

Sue Peters is a journalist and communication strategist who served on the Seattle School Board from 2013-17, most recently as board president.

November 15, 2017 was my final legislative meeting as a School Board Director and Board President. It was bittersweet because I know board directors have an opportunity to accomplish significant and important good work for the district and there is much more work to be done. But I also know that Seattle School Board Directors are not given the tools, compensation or respect they need to fully do their job as well as they could. So serving on the board, especially for those with younger families, can be a hardship we simply cannot afford.

I was still honored to have the opportunity to serve the students and community of Seattle these past four years. Here is the statement I made at the final meeting:

Farewell Statement at my final board meeting

Thank you to staff for the beautiful flowers, and to Clover and Cashel for your kind words.

So I want to thank the people of Seattle and the Seattle schools community for the honor of serving you these past four years. I am proud and humbled to have been able to serve you and the district as your president, as your vice president, as the chair of the Audit and Finance Committee, and the Executive Committee, and to have served on the Curriculum and Instruction Committee for two years, including during the elementary school math adoption. I have also been able to serve on the Scholarship Committee, and serving as a liaison to and from the community.

I joined the board with the objective of connecting district policy to the communities, to our families, establishing greater respect for the many voices of our communities, for establishing greater fiscal responsibility, to invest in curricular materials, beginning with math, because we were behind in our curricular materials, embracing the diversity of our district and valuing and helping all our students fulfill their potential.

I believe I have been true to those objectives.

I aimed to share with you all my skills and experience as a journalist, a parent, a researcher, a public education advocate, a former fact-checker for Consumer Reports, an advocate for public education, my background in communications and, to some degree, a background in education, and a longstanding commitment to social justice in all its forms.

When I think back to four years ago when I ran for office, towards the end of the campaign, when people would ask questions like “Why are you running?” — you get tired toward the end, but you also have some clarity — I didn’t want to repeat the same talking points. So when I was then asked why was I running, I simply said: “I hope to do some good.”

It’s my sincere hope that I have been able to do that: Some good.

Another more sardonic friend, who’s actually with us this evening, suggested a campaign slogan of: Vote for Sue Peters – She’ll make things less worse! I hope at minimum, I’ve at least done that….!

It’s a sport in this town to beat up on the School Board, regardless of facts, information, regardless of who’s on the Board, it seems. It’s a shame and it doesn’t serve anyone well. I honestly believe this current board is one of the best, most dedicated and skilled we have seen in many years. It’s also one of the most racially diverse.

And progress has been made in these four years. Of course, though, it’s never enough.

I would also like to tell the people of Seattle that there are good, dedicated people working in the John Stanford Center. Please support the district when it’s doing good work, and let us know when it isn’t – constructively would be helpful.

I also want to take a moment to thank the staff members who helped me do my job. Yes, I ask a lot of questions; I am trained to do that. I need to have facts on which to base these very important decisions because the buck does stop with us. Whatever happens, the people hold the School Board accountable for any decisions that are made. It’s a huge responsibility which I take very seriously.

I also want to thank all the families who have come to me over the years, to my community meetings, who have emailed me; families, students, community members — your input has been invaluable and it has helped me do my job.

I’ve been advised that I should list accomplishments, some of things that have happened in the last past four years, so I will do that. But I do acknowledge that it’s never a solo act. It’s necessarily a team sport here. We work together as colleagues on the board, we work with staff, we work with the superintendent, we work with the community.

These are actions I have been fortunate to be a part of these past four years. I am proud to have authored or cosponsored policy and amendments that established or addressed many important issues large and small, from balancing a budget during a time of fiscal crisis to selecting more environmentally safe, nontoxic surface material for our tracks and fields.

I am proud to have a hand in:

Granting students and parents rights regarding assessments, including the right to opt out.

Passing resolution calling for a replacement to the Smarter Balanced assessments with assessments that are less discriminatory, more fair, and less draining of the resources of our schools and students precious time

Passing a resolution reestablishing our board’s commitment to truly public – not charter—schools.

Passing a resolution recognizing the indigenous people of the land we are on, the Duwamish Tribe.

Passing a resolution establishing Indigenous People’s Day – which earned us a mention and faux mockery on Stephen Colbert’s satirical show, The Colbert Report….!

I have consistently advocated for mitigation funds for the start of the school year – I’ve referred to it as the “Student Stability Fund.”

I have supported an efficiency review (audit) of the central administration so we can be fiscally responsible and can make sure that we are directing as many resources as possible to all our schools.

I have supported funding for International Baccalaureate at all of our three of our high schools that offer it.

I have supported advanced learning – acknowledging the need, investing in opportunities, increasing diversity, and simply defending these children from the unseemly and irrational prejudice that is fomented by too many in this district.

I have supported our teachers. And sometimes that means — I’ll tell this to our new directors who are joining us– sometimes you are going to find yourself all alone with a vote. You might be the only one in a 6-1 vote. Everyone one of us up here has been that position. Don’t be afraid to do that. I was the only one to vote against an injunction against our teachers during the teachers’ strike. To our new directors, don’t be afraid to do that.

I am proud of being a member of the Board majority that advocated for adding a special ed mandate to city’s pre-k program and maintaining EEU program at the University of Washington.

I was part of the board that passed the belltime initiative that better aligns student school schedules with their biological needs, making Seattle a national leader in this area, as other districts follow suit.

In my four years on the Board we have increasingly developed a Board majority that values curriculum and understands that a key component of equity and is offering every student a fair chance at success.

To that end, we have adopted K-5 math materials, we are piloting middle school math, adopted social studies middle schools materials, supporting “Since Time Immemorial” and now a commitment to Ethnic Studies. I am proud of this work. It is fundamental work.

I am also proud to have been part of a board and district that for four years has:

Had clean audits.

Has balanced the budget through good times and lean.

That has transitioned to superintendent leadership peacefully and will continue to do so.

That has recognized that the district can no longer close or sell schools and buildings, but has instead committed to opening and building new schools almost every year I have been on the board.

I am part of a board that has voiced a commitment to every student of every race and every gender. But we must make good on that promise.

I am proud to be a member of a school board that knows we owe it to our students and families to get things right, crucial components like:

The student assignment plan.

School improvement plans.

Funding as many educators and counselors as possible for our schools.

Recognizing that we have many students of various needs and there are gaps in outcomes that we can and must impact.

There is still much work to be done, no question about it. We need to create a district with more vision, more imagination, greater stability for our students and predictability for our families, more options not less, in our schools—more joy, less stress.

I would like to extend my best wishes to my continuing colleagues Leslie Harris, Betty Patu, Rick Burke, Scott Pinkham and Jill Geary. They are conscientious, intelligent and understood their role and duty they have to the public that elected them. Each brings valuable skills and insights.

I congratulate my longtime colleague and friend Betty Patu on her decisive re-election to the school board for a third term and an opportunity to complete her valuable decades of work on behalf of the students of Seattle Public Schools.

And I welcome newly elected members Eden Mack and Zachary Pullin DeWolf. Thank you for stepping up. The district is fortunate to have you. This is a rewarding job and, of course, challenging. Your decisions will matter to so many, and will have a lasting impact. I know neither of you take the job lightly.

But I can also assure, you will be in good company. And there will be moments of laughter and joy. –I found it amusing on the campaign trail this time around, on behalf of other candidates, there was a candidate who erroneously claimed this current board doesn’t even speak to each other. I had to laugh when I think of how many times at meetings I’ve wished the Board talked less to each other– myself included.

My tip to the new directors is: Do your homework. There is a lot of reading and thinking to do. Vote your conscience. And don’t be afraid to be the sole vote if that is where your conscience and intelligence lead you.

The day must come when we treat the job of Seattle School Board Director with the respect and resources it deserves and requires, so that it does not have to be hardship and sacrifice to serve. After all, we directors are called upon to oversee the largest school district in state and a $1 billion budget.

And no, the mayor and city should not be called upon to take over. It’s crucially important that the people of the city have elected representatives on the school board who are answerable to them, directly. Research has shown that this is still the most accountable model of school district governance.

In terms of compensation, the board’s maximum stipend of $50 a day – only on days when we have meetings — has remained unchanged since the 1980s. Adjusting for inflation alone, it should at least be $100/day. That still doesn’t take us very far. Board directors are only compensated for meetings. We are not paid anything for hours spent researching and reading.

Directors do not have their own direct staff or office space, other than two shared staff members and shared space.

The day must come when we treat the job of Seattle School Board Director with the respect and resources it deserves and requires, so that it does not have to be hardship and sacrifice to serve. After all, we directors are called upon to oversee the largest school district in state and a $1 billion budget.

I find it interesting that no one has made a point of the fact that we are now going to have four mayors in four months. Meanwhile the Seattle school district is entering into its fourth year with the same superintendent. So again there is a lot of information out there it would behoove us to correct.

I find it interesting that no one has made a point of the fact that we are now going to have 4 mayors in four months. Meanwhile the Seattle School District is entering into its fourth year with the same superintendent.

Above all, I want to thank my family – my children and my husband – who gave up more than I realized they would, to lend me to you. Thank you for your patience and love. You know more about the complexities of a school district than any teenager should ever have to know.

Thank you all very much.

# # # # #

]]>https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2017/12/19/my-farewell-statement-from-the-dais/feed/1suep4spsBest of luck to Seattle’s New School Board! (Their first legislative meeting is today 12/6/17)https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2017/12/06/best-of-luck-to-seattles-new-school-board-their-first-legislative-meeting-is-today-12-6-17/
https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2017/12/06/best-of-luck-to-seattles-new-school-board-their-first-legislative-meeting-is-today-12-6-17/#respondWed, 06 Dec 2017 18:43:59 +0000http://suepeters4schoolboard.org/?p=2394Continue reading Best of luck to Seattle’s New School Board! (Their first legislative meeting is today 12/6/17)→]]>On Nov. 28, election results were certified and Seattle School Board Directors Betty Patu (winning her third term representing District VII), Eden Mack (taking over from me as representative of District IV) and Zachary Pullin DeWolf (replacing Stephan Blanford in District V) were sworn in.

It was standing room only, one of the best-attended School Board swearing in ceremonies I can remember.

Guest keynote speaker was State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, invited by Board Vice President, Leslie Harris, who also ably MCed the event. Among the guests, State Representative Gerry Pollet and former Interim Mayor Tim Burgess.

Today, Dec. 6, at 4:15 pm. the new board will sit for its first legislative meeting. I wish them the best.

]]>https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2017/12/06/best-of-luck-to-seattles-new-school-board-their-first-legislative-meeting-is-today-12-6-17/feed/0suep4spsCongratulations to Newly Elected (and Re-elected) Seattle School Board Directors Eden Mack, Zach DeWolf & Betty Patu!https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2017/11/28/congratulations-to-newly-elected-and-re-elected-seattle-school-board-directors-eden-mack-zach-dewolf-betty-patu/
https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2017/11/28/congratulations-to-newly-elected-and-re-elected-seattle-school-board-directors-eden-mack-zach-dewolf-betty-patu/#respondTue, 28 Nov 2017 07:18:25 +0000http://suepeters4schoolboard.org/?p=2380Continue reading Congratulations to Newly Elected (and Re-elected) Seattle School Board Directors Eden Mack, Zach DeWolf & Betty Patu!→]]>Warmest congrats to Eden Mack and Zachary DeWolf and Betty Patu on theirdecisive wins in the general election on Nov 7. Results will be certified tomorrow, Nov. 28th, and they will be sworn in as official members of the Seattle School Board at 6 pm.

Welcome to the Board, Eden and Zach. And congratulations to Betty for winning her third straight election. She is now one of the longest-serving Seattle School Board directors in recent memory. She will bring valuable institutional memory and experience to the Board and District.

Eden Mack — 87%

Betty Patu — 68%

Zachary DeWolf — 64%

(as of Nov 22 vote tallies)

Thank you Seattle voters for choosing wisely.

]]>https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2017/11/28/congratulations-to-newly-elected-and-re-elected-seattle-school-board-directors-eden-mack-zach-dewolf-betty-patu/feed/0suep4spsTop 10 Reasons to Vote for Betty Patu for Seattle School Board!https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2017/10/30/top-10-reasons-to-vote-for-betty-patu-for-seattle-school-board/
https://suepeters4schoolboard.org/2017/10/30/top-10-reasons-to-vote-for-betty-patu-for-seattle-school-board/#respondMon, 30 Oct 2017 19:13:48 +0000http://suepeters4schoolboard.org/?p=2371Continue reading Top 10 Reasons to Vote for Betty Patu for Seattle School Board!→]]>Top 10 Reasons to Vote for Betty Patu for Seattle School Board!

BETTY PATU is the only candidate with over 30 years of extensive experience with Seattle Public Schools. She has firsthand knowledge of the district’s communities, challenges, successes and goals.

BETTY knows the job. With 8 years of experience overseeing the district’s $1 billion budget through good times and lean, she brings valuable knowledge and continuity to the Board.

BETTY is focused on equity and results. She voted for the District’s groundbreaking Racial Equity Policy, supported a moratorium on K-5 nonviolent suspensions, helped to align school start times to better meet student needs, and has brought programs like International Baccalaureate to Rainier Beach High School and Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) to Cleveland High School.

BETTY has deep roots in the communities she represents. A native of American Samoa, she has lived and served in Southeast Seattle for decades.

BETTY has skin in the game. All five of her kids graduated from Seattle Public Schools and she now has grandchildren following in their footsteps.

BETTY has a proven commitment to student success. As a founder of intervention programs that helped hundreds of at-risk students, her work was featured in the New York Times, and earned the United Nations’ Humanitarian Award, Patty Senator Murray’s “Golden Tennis Award,” and many other honors for her valuable community service.

BETTY is a proven civic leader. She has served as Seattle School Board President, Vice President, Chair of the Executive and Operations Committees, and the District’s City Liaison.

BETTY is highly qualified. She has a Master’s degree in education administration, a degree in nursing, and experience working as a teacher.

BETTY is endorsed by a broad coalition that includes: The Stranger, the Seattle Weekly, The Medium, Democratic and labor organizations, including the 32nd, 34th, 37th, 43rd and 46th District Democrats, the King County and the Metropolitan Democrats, Local 609; State Senators Maralyn Chase and Bob Hasegawa, State Representative and House Education Committee Chair Sharon Tomiko Santos, King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, Head of the City’s Dept. of Early Learning, Dwane Chappelle, five of her six colleagues on the School Board, education leaders including Estela Ortega (El Centro de la Raza), Rita Green (NAACP), Sebrena Burr (Seattle Council PTSA), parents, teachers and students district-wide.

BETTY is committed to public education. Unlike her opponent, she does not support diverting resources to charter schools.

VOTE FOR BETTY!

What colleagues, parents, former students & media say about Betty Patu

“As an African American Male who attended Rainier Beach High School in the 90’s, Betty Patu has always helped not only my African American peers but all kids who needed help with resources and opportunities. She didn’t see color, she saw students as a mother tending to her children. She dedicated her life to ensuring we graduated from high school on time and I am proud to let everyone know what she did for me. I am forever grateful and love this woman! She will represent your voice on the Board in a spirit of excellence!” – Jamal Crawford, NBA Sixth Man of the Year (3x)Minnesota Timberwolves

“Betty Patu is a goddamned legend. As a South Seattle high-school teacher and tireless advocate for minority students, Patu waltzed into local gang meetings to get her students to go back to class and once even barked down a student who held another peer at gunpoint. NBD! Her work directly lowered high-school dropout rates in the community. Despite spending nearly a decade on the school board—seen by many education advocates as the soul-sucking home of single-issue candidates—Patu hasn’t wavered in her commitment to equity.” – The Stranger

“Betty Patu has been one of the most determined and effective leaders in Seattle when it comes to working for every child in our schools and dismantling the structural, pervasive racism in this district.” – Sebrena Burr, parent, activist and President, Seattle Council PTSA

“Weare fortunate as a district to have someone of Betty’s integrity and experience as a public servant. What is especially remarkable about Betty is that her experience is real. She has helped get kids off the streets, encouraged them to stay in school. I am convinced she has saved lives. Even now, former students come to her and tell her their lives took a different path because of her. She is a woman of courage and conviction, an honest voice that speaks from the heart but with a solid sense of common sense. She has the strength of character to be humble, but is also fierce in her dedication to meet the needs of all the children of Seattle’s public schools.” – Sue Peters, parent, activist and President, Seattle School Board

Remember to vote! Ballots are due (or postmarked) by the end of NOVEMBER 7

This is an important race; please be sure to vote. The next School Board will select the next superintendent (Larry Nyland will complete his 4-year contract in mid-2018), establish the next Strategic Plan, bargain with the teachers’ union, and guide the district through a time of enrollment growth amid budget challenges.

I can vouch for and am supporting Eden Mack for my seat in District 4. In District 7 (South Seattle area) my colleague Betty Patu continues to have my longstanding respect and support. In District 5 (Central District), I now recommend Zachary Pullin DeWolf.

I have worked with Betty and Eden on public education advocacy and know they will represent our many diverse communities and students well. Zach has public policy and community activism experience and has worked with Native American students.

Magnolia parent and public education activist Eden Mack is running for my seat and she has proven to be a quick study, and a very intelligent and analytical advocate for public education. A founder of Washington’s Paramount Duty who has advocated tirelessly for the state to fulfill its constitutional duty to fully fund K-12 public education (McCleary Decision), an analyst by profession, she is already very engaged and knowledgeable about the district and its challenges. She understands capacity issues, forecasting, advanced learning and Special Education, among other important matters. She has 3 children in Seattle Public Schools, and will be a hard-working and thoughtful representative on the Board who will be able to take over my position readily. Please vote for Eden: http://www.electedenmack.com/

Betty Patu is running for a final term to complete the good work she’s begun. She is deeply connected and committed to the various diverse communities of her district and has over 30 years of direct experience working for Seattle Public Schools. She is the only candidate in the entire race with children and grandchildren who have attended Seattle Public Schools. She has a strong moral compass and institutional knowledge of the district, as well as longstanding relationships with district, city and state level officials and staff. Betty has also led the Board as president and vice president. On her watch, the district adopted a Race and Equity Policy, Rainier Beach High School graduation rates rose from 53 to 81 percent, she voted to bring International Baccalaureate to Rainier Beach and STEM (Science, technology, Engineering and Math) to Cleveland High School. At the primary level, she supported bringing STEAM (STEM plus Art) to Hawthorne Elementary School in her district, and the school has been thriving. Betty supported both Board resolutions opposing charter schools, has supported preschool for many years — long before the City embraced the concept (despite the false claims by her opponent and the Seattle Times), has advocated for an independent audit of the central administration, and voted for new Board policies governing testing which established student and parent rights, and granting more Board oversight to program placement decisions, to name a few key decisions she has led or supported.

A woman of courage and conviction, Betty Patu has also been unafraid to be the sole vote of reason and dissent when necessary, and was the sole vote against bringing under-qualified Teach for America recruits into Seattle’s high-needs schools (See Seattle Schools Okays Teach for America). For her decades of work helping at-risk students leave gangs and graduate from school, she received the United Nations Humanitarian Award, Patty Murray’s Golden Tennis Shoe Award, UW’s Multicultural Alumni Partnership (MAP) Award and was featured in the New York Times. The Stranger calls her a “legend.” Please read my testimonial about Betty here: http://bettypatu.com/ testimonials/ Please vote for Betty: http://bettypatu.com/

It’s disappointing that my friend and fellow public education advocate, LEAN consultant (and SPS parent) Andre Helmstetter did not quite make it through the primary (though it was close). That also means, for the first time in 50 years, there will be no African American representative on the Seattle School Board. This is a disturbing development in a city that claims to care about achievement gaps, disproportionality and racial justice.

(The Seattle Times endorsed an all-white slate in the primary election, and the Stranger did not offer a dual endorsement to Helmstetter and DeWolf when it could have. Only the Seattle Weekly had the sense to endorse Helmstetter.)

But Zachary Pullin DeWolf is the clear choice in this race now. He has a background in homeless, immigrant and LGBTQ issues, has public policy experience, a commitment to public service, has administered educational programs for Native American students, has earned an impressive array of endorsements, and is eager to serve constructively on the Board. Please vote for Zach:http://www.electdewolf.com/

After six weeks of training with Teach for America program, recent University of Oregon graduate Chelsea Byers started her first year at the Melrose Leadership Academy in Oakland. Three of seven teachers were, like her, novices to the profession. “Even with one year of experience today, I would still not call myself highly qualified,” Byers said. –– “Hayward Students Sue over Teacher Quality,” East Bay Times, Aug. 2007

As an aside, I have never seen either of these candidates at a School Board meeting, committee meeting or Board retreat. Yet at various forums and in print, they speak disparagingly of the members of the board and their work with no evidence of real knowledge of either. (In fact, this is the most responsive, diverse and diligent School Board Seattle has seen in recent memory.) It is difficult to imagine candidates who demonstrate such disrespect for the office and the future colleagues they claim they want to join, contributing constructively to the necessary teamwork or demonstrating effective leadership on the Board.